Chances is broken up into parts. The first part looks at the
blackout in
New York City and how this affects the main characters. The second is focused on
Gino Santangelo and later includes his children
Lucky and
Dario. The third part examines the life of
Carrie Berkley and later her son
Steven.[4][5]
July 14/15 1977, New York City/Philadelphia
The
blackout, a real event that Collins describes in some detail affects all the major characters either directly or indirectly.
Lucky Santangelo was in
Costa Zennocotti's office, trying to convince Costa not to let her father
Gino Santangelo return to America, she does not know he is in a plane circling the city. When the blackout occurs she is trapped in an
elevator between floors with
Steven Berkley. The two end up talking and when they are rescued from the lift Lucky goes back to Steven's apartment for breakfast and a change of clothes.
Gino Santangelo was in a plane returning from a seven-year
tax exile in
Israel when the blackout occurs. His plane is diverted to
Philadelphia when in a hotel, a
flight attendant tips the press that he is back in the country.
Dario Santangelo is trapped in his own apartment after his male lover takes his keys, his gun, and his knife. Dario is forced to phone Costa in order to escape alive.
Costa Zennocotti stays in his office after the blackout, not willing to walk down all the stairs and Dario calls him and says that he needs something "arranged". Costa calls
Sal, a freelance
enforcer to take out the boy but ends up double-crossing him and kidnapping Dario.
Carrie Berkley drives to
Harlem in her
Cadillac Seville to meet a
blackmailer, during the blackout she is targeted by a gang of youths who
assault her and strip her of her jewelry. She is arrested when she is in the area of the riots and looting, but her husband,
Elliot Berkley bails her out. The next day, dressed more conservatively, she takes a cab back to Harlem having received another call from the blackmailer.
Gino and Lucky
Gino's story begins in 1921 but backtracks to narrate details of when Gino's parent's,
Paulo and
Mira Santangelo emigrated to New York City from Italy in 1909 when Gino was three. From an early age, Gino takes to a life of crime, stealing a car at the age of fifteen and ending up in a
juvenile home.